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For the last time . . .

With approximately three-ish weeks to go until the arrival of your brother or sister, I keep finding ourselves in our usual routine thinking ‘In a few weeks’ time, this will all be different . . .’ and it feels strange and exciting and a little overwhelming all at the same time.

Four years you’ve been in our lives for, the best four years yet, and now you are four and soon the three of us become four too. It is everything we’ve wanted, but doesn’t feel real, not yet, and won’t until the baby is here.

What does feel real is that soon our morning routines will be different. You get up with your daddy, which is a total result every morning for me, because I Hate Mornings and that will never change. I love seeing you and hearing your voice and the way you come running in armed with all your teddies ready to start the day – but luckily you want to start it with daddy, not me. A new baby isn’t going to remotely grasp the concept of Mummy Doesn’t Do Mornings though, so I’d best make the most of it now.

Our evening routine, that’ll change too. I love this time of day; your pjs and stories with us, lying next to you in your ‘down bunk’, which I now have to haul myself in and out of like a giant tortoise. Just lying next to you this evening, you look so little in there, and you reach your hand out to touch my arm to check I’m there; I’m always here for you, but soon it will be different, when there is another little person to share the love. Don’t you worry your gorgeous, big-haired little head though, there’s more than enough love to go around.

You are so sweet about your impending new sibling, ‘Leafy’ or ‘LovelyFace’. You say hello to and kiss Baby Bump, you say how happy and excited you are, you are so affectionate and funny and kind. I suspect after a few weeks of them being here the novelty will quickly wear off, but it’s a joy to share this time with you, as I grow increasingly bigger and more breathless and uncomfortable by the day. The idea of you meeting your baby brother or sister for the first time is the best thing ever.

I can’t wait for it, but equally I can wait whilst I enjoy these precious last few days of us being three before we are four. And really you should be thankful this baby will be such a distraction for me come September, to hopefully prevent me from being that wailing mother at the school gates, desperate not to let you go. Frankly, I hate the idea of our precious Thursdays and Fridays together ending, whilst knowing I should be thankful we have them at all. You’re going to be an amazing big brother and Leafy or LovelyFace is so lucky to have you. As are we.